Indicted Detroit pension official Ronald Zajac is put on leave without pay

Mar. 26, 2013

Written by

Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

After 30 years of overseeing the city's billion-dollar pension funds, indicted attorney Ronald Zajac has been placed on administrative leave without pay, temporarily forfeiting his $400,000 salary.

At its meeting Monday, the board of trustees for the General Retirement System of the City of Detroit suspended Zajac without pay in light of the criminal charges pending against him.

"The board respects the constitutional presumption of innocence of all persons charged with crimes. As the fiduciary of the retirement system for thousands of current and retired Detroit City employees, the board deemed it in the best interest of the system and its participants to adopt this resolution, and seek other counsel to perform needed legal services for the system," pension chairman Tom Sheehan said in a statement.

Sheehan declined further comment.

Zajac and former Trustee Paul Stewart were indicted Wednesday on charges of bribery conspiracy, becoming the fourth and fifth defendants to be ensnared in the government's years-long investigation into the Detroit pension funds.